Tuesday, September 17 2024 14:42

ArmInfo.The invitation of the Armenian authorities to national ceremonies should not be interpreted in the sense that the Church has abandoned its position and is demonstrating complete loyalty to their political line. This was stated by the head of the chancery of the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin, Archbishop Arshak Khachatryan at a meeting with journalists.

He explained that the Church will continue to express its position on  this or that issue based on expediency, without regard to the  Armenian authorities.

"An invitation was sent from the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin to  high-ranking officials of Armenia to the opening of the Etchmiadzin  Cathedral after restoration. However, we received a response only  from the Chairman of the National Assembly (NA). He informed us that  he will not participate in the ceremony," Khachatryan said, adding  that no other responses have been received at the moment.

At the same time, the clergyman noted that when sending invitations  to high-ranking government officials, the Armenian Apostolic Church  considered the advisability of sending them, given the current  difficult nature of relations between the Church and the authorities.  "The issue of the advisability of inviting the authorities was  discussed in the Church at a meeting of the Supreme Spiritual  Council. Following the meeting, it was decided that the invitations  should be sent," the archbishop explained.

On May 8, the Prime Minister of Armenia published a list of the  so-called "national interests of the people of the Republic of  Armenia" on his Facebook page, in which the Armenian Catholic Church  and the Armenian Evangelical Church are on a par with the Armenian  Apostolic Church. 

Meanwhile, according to the Constitution of Armenia, "the Republic of  Armenia recognizes the exclusive mission of the Armenian Apostolic  Holy Church as a national church in the spiritual life of the  Armenian people, in the development of its national culture and the  preservation of national identity." It should be noted that the  Echmiadzin Cathedral will reopen its doors to parishioners on  September 29 of this year.  Recall that restoration work has been  carried out in the Cathedral since 2018.